To differentiate the X5 from the SUV pack, BMW has chosen to call its X5 a Sport Activity Vehicle or SAV. Although it's a play on words, BMW claims the X5 sets new standards in ride and handling. BMW aimed to make the X5 more enjoyable for highway use than the typical SUV but still maintain its capabilities for light off-road use.The X5 is immediately recognizable as a BMW. In fact it looks like a 540i wagon on steroids - and it is remarkably close in overall size. The major difference is that it is 10 inches taller. This increased ride height is what makes SUVs popular with so many owners. There is no doubt that riding high improves visibility on the road - unless it is populated by too many other tall vehicles! According to the government, the X5 is a light-duty truck. Most truck-based SUVs, including the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, are built with the body bolted onto a frame. The X5, however uses a monocoque body shell like that of a regular sedan. This uni-body construction provides a much stiffer body shell, which improves handling, reduces noise and allows better fit and finish. The X5 is not the first monocoque SUV; the Lexus RX 300 and the newest Jeep Grand Cherokee follow the same design concept. Because of this uni-body construction they share, the Lexus RX 300 is the X5's closest competitor in terms of ride comfort and handling. From the front, kidney-shaped grille to the rear tailgate, the curvy X5 is all BMW. The slope of the tailgate is almost identical to that of the 540i wagon and it has a window that can be opened independently of the split tailgate that is useful when you want to quickly put something in the rear cargo compartment. The X5 rides on bigger diameter wheels than other SUVs on the market. It has enormous 18-inch wheels with relatively low profile tires. This gives the vehicle a sportier look but also helps improve the handling. The optional sport package goes one better, offering 19-inch wheels as well as slightly firmer suspension settings. The X5 comes with a permanently engaged all-wheel-drive system that is more akin to one found in sedans. It does not use a transfer case nor offer a low range setting. But the X5 is loaded with a host of electronically controlled systems to assist the vehicle in bad traction conditions: ASC (Automatic Stability Control), DSC-X (Dynamic Stability Control), CBC (Cornering Brake Control), DBC (Dynamic Brake Control), ADB (Automatic Differential Brake), HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistant) and HDC (Hill Descent Control). There is not room to explain them all here but many of these are already found on BMW sedans while others are new to the X5. Although the X5's all-independent suspension is the key to the vehicle's ride and handling, an equally important part of the X5's capability is the use of these various electronic stabilizing systems. All these features are standard on the X5 4.4i.
|